Ask HN: How to file a patent alone?
I've just started my own company/start up. I've got enough funds to work on the idea for a year or so by myself, so I've got some time and a nominal amount of money at my disposal. I'm also pretty sure that my idea is patentable!
How do I, as an LLC, file a patent? The common response I've heard in person is "don't" or "get a lawyer." But the former is not fun, and the latter is not an option.
Has anyone personally filed for one? Or used a cheap online service or template like LegalZoom?
Go to your public library and you will probably find some books by Nolo press on patent law, take them home and read them.
If you are small and never filed a patent before you can get services from the PTO for 1/4 the price.
For less than $40 you can file a provisional patent application that holds your priority for a year to write a full patent. I have put together PPAs in four hours or so by cutting and pasting technical and marketing material and writing some text to make it look (a little) like a patent application.
If you really understand what is in that book in the next year you can file a real patent application yourself, enough to keep the clock running. I have had co-workers write good applications (that got granted) in about two weeks of full-time work.
I like intellectual property lawyers, but I don't like paying their bill. Five shaky patents are probably more intimidating than one patent that looks strong so it makes more sense to file for more patents yourself at the bargain basement price than getting a lawyer who will do better than you on average but could well make a mistake too because anybody could make a mistake.
Thanks Paul! It sounds like the amount of work is equivalent to what it would take to do a write up and submit it to a patent service, so I might as well skip shelling out a thousand dollars to have someone basically proof-read my application, and just submit it myself.
> I've got enough funds to work on the idea for a year or so by myself, so I've got some time and a nominal amount of money at my disposal.
And you want to spend your precious time and money on a patent? One that most likely will be worthless in court since you want to do it without a lawyer? Maybe the answers you heard are correct. A year goes by very fast.